


Take Peter

by mistyWanderlust



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dialogue Heavy, F/M, First War with Voldemort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-20 12:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13717677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistyWanderlust/pseuds/mistyWanderlust
Summary: Sirius sighed. “We must change the Secret Keeper. It cannot be me.”Or: How Sirius committed the biggest mistake of his life.





	Take Peter

“Okay mate”, James finally said, “there is obviously something bugging you. Spill it out!”

Sirius expected James to notice something was off, although not this early in the night. He knew he was uncharacteristically quiet, but his task wasn’t an easy one. Still, it had to be done, was the main reason for him coming to Godric’s Hollow that night. For a moment, Sirius contemplated feigning ignorance. But he couldn’t do that to James.

“We have to change the plan,” Sirius announced.

“What?” James looked at his best friend, like he had grown a second head. “Why should we do that, mate? We’ve gone over it for ages. The Fidelius is the best shot we have, Dumbledore is right on this one. All those other plans, we came up with… they might have worked, if we just had to lie low a year or two, but as Voldemort is set on killing us, killing _Harry_ , there is no other way.”

Sirius picked up his bottle of butterbeer and started fiddling with it. After a while, he said, not meeting James eyes. “Yes, I know.” He sighed. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, we must change the Secret Keeper. It cannot be me.”

“Sirius.” James said with a soft voice. “You’re my best friend, my brother in every way that matters. I trust you with my life. I trust you with Harry’s and Lily’s life. Merlin’s beard, there is no one I trust more than you in the whole world. So, unless you’re about to tell me you’re Voldemort’s spy, I don’t see why we should take someone else.”

Sirius forces himself to rise the corners of his mouth. It most likely looked more like a grimace than a grin, but unfortunately, James joke got him right to the subject of his worries. The spy Dumbledore suspected in their closest circle.

“If it was me, I would’ve stolen Harry one time or another when I was babysitting him. Save me the trouble of casting this charm.” He knew it was a lame joke, but he couldn’t help. Even thinking about his real reason hurt too much. But he had to think it, had to say it. “I think it’s Remus.”

“Remus? The spy?”

Sirius didn’t have to look up, he felt James eyes bore into his head. Still looking at his bottle rather than his best friend, Sirius nodded. “Yeah. It’s… he keeps secrets. Doesn’t tell me where he goes and what he does. When I tried to probe for details, he just said it’s secret and that he cannot tell me. I swear, it’s worse than first year, when he wouldn’t tell us about him being a werewolf.”

For a long moment James said nothing. Then “Are you sure, you’re not over-interpreting things?”

“Trust me, I’ve thought this through, back and forth. There’s just… too much he does lately doesn’t add up and then there is the recent social climate about werewolves. This whole anti-werewolf legislation makes it so hard for him. Last time we talked about making our relationship public his argument against was that I would lose my job if anyone found out that I’m living with a werewolf. And… you know Moony. He’s a good guy, but everybody has a breaking point.” He sighed again and shook his head. “Voldemort promised a better life for werewolves. That’s how he got so many on his site. Merlin knows, the ministry makes it easy enough for him. I… I can see how tempting that must be. And with all the secrets he keeps recently, it just all adds up. So yes, I think Remus is the spy.”

Finally, Sirius looked James in the eyes. The seriousness on his best friend’s face startled him a little, it was an alien expression on him.

“So, what are you gonna do about it?”

“Nothing.” The calmness in his voice surprised even Sirius himself. “I love him, no matter what. Of course, I’ll be careful what I say around him, but other than that, I’ll do nothing. But I can’t be the Secret Keeper.”

“How is it connected? I mean, even if – and it’s still a big ‘if’ if you ask me – even if Remus is the spy, how does that lead to you not being Secret Keeper.”

“Well, as we already established when the original plan was made, your Secret Keeper should go into hiding too. Obviously, I would take Remus with me, or at least tell him where I’d be. So, that part is obsolete.”

“That’s a risk I take.”

“I’d too, if it was the only part.” Sirius again looked at his bottle. He couldn’t, look James in the eyes when he told him the other part, he just couldn’t. Ever since he had realised it for himself, he had repeatedly played out the scene of him telling James in his mind and still, now that the moment of truth inevitable came, he still didn’t know what he should say. Only, that he couldn’t look James in the eyes at this moment, couldn’t bear seeing him in the eyes.

“The thing is, I don’t know what I’d do, when they try to use Remus against me. When they make me decide between you and him. I’ve thought about it, ever since the idea struck me and the truth it, I don’t know what I would do. I can’t promise I’d chose you over him.” He looked back into the face of his best friend, ready to see the betrayal there, more relieved than he ever imagined when he saw none. That gave him the strength to continue. “So, please, don’t make me chose. Take someone else instead. Take Peter. Nobody is gonna suspect it’s him. Another layer of protection. And he’s single. There is no one Voldemort can use against him.”

For a long while, that felt like years and lasted probably only seconds, James said nothing. Instead, he took a long swig from his own butterbeer. After he put it back on the table, he finally said “Okay. I don’t agree with the whole ‘Remus the spy’ idea and I really think you’re a little paranoid on that field, but I’m the last one to force you. And you’re right, Pete is an unlikely choice and therefore perfect.”

At this, Sirius had to grin. And it was an honest grin, without all the tension he had felt before. James and Lily and Harry would be save and that mattered the most. And somehow, he’d make Remus see reason, convince him that Voldemort was not the solution. But that was a matter for another day. The most urgent one, however, was solved.

**Author's Note:**

> I've done several rounds of editing. Still, there might be some mistakes left. If you find them, I'd appreciate a message, so that I can correct them.


End file.
